


A Secret To Protect

by PonderRose



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Awkward Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Love, Love Triangles, Possessive Behavior, Protective, Protectiveness, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Temper, Vienna, adoring, foreigners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23362528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PonderRose/pseuds/PonderRose
Summary: Raphael meets a girl who's new to the city. She doesn't want any drama, but there it is. He doesn't want to care about her, but there it is. And neither of them can tell anyone else about each other. Yet despite this, love can happen in the most unlikely of situations. Raphael/Reader, Leonardo/Reader. Minor love triangle eventually. Enjoy!
Relationships: Donatello/April O'Neil (TMNT), Leonardo/Reader, Raphael/Reader
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

Vienna International Airport (conversation in German for this chapter only)- 

After arriving at the security gate, I turned to face my father. His face was firm but kind as he gazed upon me. “New York is not like Vienna. It is a different city with a very different culture. I expect you to listen to your uncle and work hard around the shop. Also, keep doing well in your schoolwork.” “Yes, Daddy.” “And remember, this is your opportunity to perfect your English before university. Only speak, read, and write in English while abroad; your uncle can’t speak German anyway.” “I will.” 

Daddy smiled pleased and reached over to pat my shoulder with affection. “You will be fine, darling. Always keep in mind that you are there to help your uncle and prepare for university back here in Vienna. This will be a good experience for you, Athénaïs.” “Thank you, Daddy. I’ll miss you.” “I’ll miss you too, sweetheart.” And with those parting words, we embraced before I had to go through security alone.


	2. An Unanticipated Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael meets someone quite new and unexpected one night.

New York City- 

Daddy was certainly right- life in America was very, very different. The culture shock was immense, and not just because I lived in a part of Chinatown with my great uncle. Although my grandfather had immigrated from Japan to Germany after the Second World War, I didn’t look like I came from Asian descent. My maternal, Japanese grandfather married my German grandmother, whose daughter married an Austrian. Lots of patrons were confused why this white girl worked at the old, Japanese man’s noodle shop and called him “uncle”. But I adored my great uncle Hideo Murakumi. 

I was busy cleaning behind the counter when he hollered for me. “Athénaïs-chan? Could you come here a moment for me please?” He asked in his broken English. “Yes, Uncle?” Taking off my apron, I didn’t hesitate to approach him. “Would you please keep an eye on this? It’s a pickup for some of my regulars,” he patted a box already placed inside of a bag. “Of course. What is it?” “My very own creation: pizza gyoza.” “Pizza gyoza?” My eyebrow lifted. That sounded gross. He nodded and turned his head my way excitedly. “Would you like to try some? Wouldn’t hurt you to put some meat on those bones of yours.” “Erm, thank you, Uncle. But I’ll have to pass. I don’t eat pizza.” “You don’t eat pizza? My word. What do they feed you in Europe? A diet of milk and bread?” I chuckled and shook my head. Uncle thought that I was much too skinny, when I was a regular size for a European girl of my age. Being in America though, I can see why he may think I’m too small. 

Uncle decided to let the issue drop as he went to go back into the kitchen. “I’m going to start on another takeout order. Please make sure they get the box when they come.” “Yes, Uncle. What’s the name?” “Huh?” “The person who ordered it- what’s their name?” I clarified myself a bit more this time. He nodded in understanding. “It’s for the Turtles.” “The Turtles?” “Don’t worry; you’ll know who they are. They’re good friends of mine and crazy about pizza gyoza.” How anyone could be crazy about pizza gyoza is beyond me. But I complied and obediently planted my elbows on the counter ready to wait for these “Turtles”. I wonder if that’s a gang name or something; pretty weird gang name. Maybe Turtles has a different, mobster meaning in English. “I’ll be here, Uncle.” “Good, thank you. And for goodness sake, eat something; you’re going to widdle down into nothing.” “Yes, Uncle,” I rolled my eyes. God, I’m sick of people telling me to eat more. I eat three square meals a day; the portions are just a lot smaller than what they serve here in America. But they’re normal where I come from. Oh well, I know he’s just looking out for my own good. 

I didn’t have to wait long for the front door to open up. The patron caught me in the middle of cleaning the tables in between the entrance and the counter. To my surprise, it wasn’t a gang member- aka a Turtle- who walked in, but a girl. She looked to be about my age or so; pale, red-hair, slender, and a kind, freckled face. She also seemed equally as startled to see me there instead of my great uncle. Her feet came to a halt for a moment and we looked at each other. 

“Oh, I’m sorry; I was looking for Murakami-san.” “Hello there. Hideo is my uncle.” “Your uncle?” Her eyebrow rose in mild astonishment; believe me when I say we look nothing alike. I grinned and nodded. “My great uncle, to be exact. I just moved from Vienna; I’m here to help him with his shop. I take it your one of Turtles?” She laughed. “Well, I guess you could say that. My name’s April O’Neil.” “Athénaïs Lauser.” “Ah-ta-nih-ooze?” Her pronunciation made me burst out laughing. “Heh, close enough,” I then took the bag and handed it to her. She accepted with a friendly smile. 

“So, how are you liking New York so far? This your first time in America? Your English is very good, by the way.” “Thank you! Uh, yes; this is my first time in North America, actually. New York is…… different.” “Heh, big cry from Vienna, huh?” “You can say that again. The people are nice, though.” “Haha, well then you obviously haven’t been here long enough. Anyway, I should get going. It was nice meeting you,” she waved as she headed for the door. I waved back. “Nice meeting you too, April. Have a good night.” “You too,” and then she made her exit. Uncle was still busy preparing orders in the back kitchen, so I decided to keep cleaning until it was time to close. 

Eventually the others came to pick up their food and it was time to close up shop. By then I was hungry but not for Japanese food; I’d had enough of that in the last week to last me the rest of the month. There was this sandwich shop called Subway around the bend; I’m sure they’d have something for me to nibble on. “Uncle! I’m going to get something to eat!” I yelled loud enough for him to hear me in the back. “Ok! Don’t be too long! And bring a key with you!” He shouted back. “Alright! Bye!” I snatched up my phone, which had my bank card inside its case, and locked the front door behind me. 

Subway was a new and curious experience. I got to put all the toppings on I wanted, which meant I piled on the vegetables. Very strange- most sandwiches were made on baguettes in Austria. Here they used this good-smelling, poofy loaf called “Italian bread”. And their mustard was this vibrant, yellow, sour-tasting stuff. It was good! Good, but weird. Americans sure like their foods to be colourful. 

I thanked the server, who asked me several times if I’d like a bag of chips or a drink with my meal, and I headed back home with my sandwich in hand. I was about halfway back when I noticed someone tailing me. Now, this was nothing new to me; I am from Europe, after all. Men have followed me before in lots of locations- mostly Paris and Brussels. I once had three different men stalk me in a weekend alone in Brussels; it’s just going to happen if you’re a young woman and you go out there alone. Nothing ever happened however, and I saw it more as an inconvenience than anything. The trick was to make a run for it and get lost either in the crowds or streets- it always worked. I was convinced that tonight would be like all the others and I would shake them off in a matter of seconds. 

What I was not expecting was for another man- this one much rougher-looking- to step out from the corner in front of me. My feet stopped as I gawked at him in alarm. Ok, this was new. One I can handle, but I’ve never had two men try to approach me at the same time before. I could always run across the street and go from there; you become very good at formulating escape routes after dealing with scenarios such as these. The brute chuckled sinisterly, taking a menacing step my way. 

“Well, well, well, what have we here? You lost, little girl?” I didn’t say anything. Rule number one when being stalked by a predator: never verbally communicate. The man behind me was also getting uncomfortably closer. “Heh, I don’t think she likes you too much, Reggie,” he said in this weird, American accent I’d never heard before. And Reggie? What kind of name is that? For an American, I mean; it would make sense if he was an Englishman. I kept my back completely straight; same with my face. Rule number two for dealing with stalkers: never smile or show emotion, especially positive emotion. 

“You’re pretty cute. Whatcha say, princess? I think we can have a really good time once we got to know each other,” the back one exclaimed. “What’s your name?” Oh, I doubt they’d be able to pronounce it even if I did tell them; my eyes rolled inwardly. I think they were growing tired of my unresponsiveness. The goal was for them to get bored with me, and it didn’t look to be working. I guess American men were different- or in their case, more dense. “So, how ‘bout it? Wanna hang with us? I promise you’ll have a good time.” “No, thank you,” were the only words I let myself say; in a very cold tone too. I’m usually very warm and smiley, but living in European cities had made me learn to be otherwise around men like these slime balls. 

The front thug took another dangerous step forward. “Awe, looks like our girl is the shy type. I bet it’s because you’re scaring her, Sid.” “So? I think she’s even cuter when she’s afraid.” I beg your pardon?! What kind of sick, twisted compliment was that? Disgusting! My heart did start to race afraid when Reggie’s hand suddenly reached out for me. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you, sweetheart.” I was literally about to make a dash for it out onto the street until……. 

Now, you’re not going to believe me- even I don’t believe it entirely- but before either of these jerks could act, this large, oddly shaped figured jumped down from the shadows on the rooftop. All our heads jerked to the side, only to see this…… this…… turtle standing there, glaring at us- or should I say the men accosting me. W-What……. My mouth hung open speechless as I gawked at this unnatural, intimidating creature. What is it? W-What is happening just now? I’ve never……. seen anything like it before. 

Raphael’s P.O.V: 

Nugh, that Leonardo. Why does he get to make all the decisions? Who made him the leader? Well, I know who, but that didn’t help my annoyance. I kept hopping from rooftop to rooftop, totally bored out of my shell. Since the Kraang and the Foot Clan had been laying low for the past couple of weeks, our oh-so-righteous leader thought it would be a good idea for us to spilt up and comb over the city individually. Only problem, it was super dull going out on patrol alone. It got to the point where I even missed Mikey’s antics, I was that bored. 

I’d been looking for hours and found nothing. Not even a break-in or something, anything to keep me entertained. Things seemed to turn up though when I spotted a few Purple Dragons near Murakami-san’s shop. Finally, some entertainment! They were weak enough opponents, so I’d be able to take them on by myself. Sai in hand, I got ready to jump down from the building I was on when all of a sudden, I saw this petit teenage girl standing in between the two gangsters. 

What the……? Is she stupid? Why’s she just standing there like that? Doesn’t she know how dangerous those guys can be? Well, not to me but to someone like her. I didn’t know what to think for a moment, but quickly realized that she likely needed some help. Heh, fine by me! I didn’t hesitate to jump down to her aid. Yeah, yeah; I know Leo wouldn’t approve of me showing myself to humans so readily, but this was my first action all night and I wasn’t about to pass this up. Besides, I was certain that the moment a big, green, mutant turtle armed with ninja weapons showed up, she’d be outta there in no time; screaming her pretty, little head off I’m sure. Humans always ran away whenever we showed our faces. Why would she be any different? 

Turns out I was wrong. Way wrong. She didn’t budge an inch while I beat these weaklings down to a pulp. It was over in less than a minute too; talk about a let-down, I thought they’d at least put up a better fight than that. Still, I didn’t deprive myself from celebrating this minor victory. My fist pumped high into the air. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” A wide grin drew across my face. Or at least, it did until I noticed the girl take a step towards me; her eyes as wide as dinner plates. 

Athénaïs’s P.O.V.- 

“Turtle……. You’re a-a…… a turtle…….?” I couldn’t stop blinking, convinced that my eyes were playing tricks on me. He- at least I think it was a “he”- frowned and crossed his arms. “You’re still here? Why haven’t you run away?” He didn’t sound impressed. I, meanwhile, lifted my hand so to rest on my forehead as I staggered over to the unconscious bodies now laying on the ground. “What did Uncle put in that tea?” My lips uttered more to myself than anyone as I bent down to inspect the men. 

“I need to call an ambulance.” “Why?” “Why?! You smashed them into the pavement! They need to go to the hospital,” I didn’t mean to yell as loud as I did; his question just shocked me so. And forget the fact that I was still trying to comprehend that this man-sized turtle was talking to me. His eyes rolled behind his red mask. “Don’t bother. They’ll be fine; besides, they probably couldn’t afford a trip to the hospital anyway. And hey! Don’t change the subject. Why didn’t run away yet?” “Uhhhhhhhhh, was I supposed to?” I blinked up at him incredulously. “Oh, gee; I don’t know. Maybe that’s what normal, teenage girls do when they see a giant, mutant turtle?” He replied, clearly annoyed. He’s annoyed? After what he did to these men; granted, they weren’t the best of people, but still. 

I stood up and locked eyes with him. He seemed…… hard; hard and tough. But also easy to tease. Thankfully for him, I’m not that kind of girl. I simply let out a sigh and shut my eyes. “I’m dreaming anyway; this is all dream. You’re not real.” “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night,” there was a bitterness in his tone. I decided to play along, which probably wasn’t the best if this was all a mental delusion anyway. 

“Ok, assuming this isn’t a dream and there is such a thing as a human-sized turtle in New York, why do you have ninja weapons? And more importantly, are there more of you?” “Ha! Like I’d tell you. You don’t need to know nothin’.” Oh my god, what a child. Or more like a tsundere: hot-tempered and standoffish when he’s caught doing something nice, god forbid. But I didn’t let it get to me. Considering that he did just rescue me, I thought it best to end on a high note. I brushed myself off and forced a grin his way. 

“Well, thank you for saving me; I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t showed up.” He snorted, tearing his stone glare off to the side. “Whatever.” Don’t let it get to you; don’t let it get to you, I gritted my teeth. “I’m Athénaïs. What’s your name?” “As if I’d tell you.” Oh, fantastic; the first mutant anything I meet, and he’s utterly refusing to talk to me. Welp! That’s my cue to go home. I sighed and turned my feet to leave. 

“Thanks again, Mr. Turtle.” “Mr. Turtle?” He repeated in a growl. “Would you prefer Schildkröte?” I couldn’t stop myself from smirking. “What?” Mr. Turtle was more perplexed this time. Yeah, I didn’t think so. With that out of the way, I kept on walking home. But before I did, I placed my sandwich bag on the ground. Mr. Turtle blinked from it to me confused and a little suspicious, but I merely smiled back. “It’s to say thanks for your help. Get home safe, Mr. Turtle,” I waved as I took off down the road. My trot soon turned into a mild jog, and I secretly smiled, trying my best not to let on that I knew he was there. 

Raphael’s P.O.V.- 

This is stupid; I can’t believe how stupid this is. I couldn’t help but glower as I followed the girl with the hard to pronounce name from the rooftops. Why was I shadowing her? Who knows. Definitely not me. I mean, she’s just a human girl- a human girl with really good tastes in sandwiches. I polished off as I hopped along in the dark of night. I couldn’t really explain it; I suppose I just wanted to confirm that she stayed out of trouble until she got to where she was going. Something in my gut told me that she was a magnet for trouble. 

I stopped when she arrived at a familiar place. Hey, isn’t that Murakami-san’s restaurant? It was! I watched from a distance as she pulled out a key and opened the front door; the place was pitch black inside. A light turned on and I could see her take off her coat from the window. Well, that’s weird; Murakami-san never mentioned her before. I wonder if she’s working for him or something. Doubting that she could hurt a fly- literally- I wasn’t all that suspicious of her sudden and unexpected arrival to Murakami-san’s home. Nevertheless, I unconsciously decided to keep an eye on her, just in case. 

With that determined, I stayed there for a minutes, quietly observing. The light on the bottom floor clicked off and a light upstairs turned on. It was around this time that I thought it time to go back to the lair. And along the way, I did my upmost best to vehemently ignore any and all thoughts of her.


	3. A Brand New High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader starts new high school in New York.

Athénaïs's P.O.V.-

"Class, we have a new student starting with us today. She recently moved here from Vienna." "Vienna, Texas?" "No, Charles; Vienna, the capital city of Austria. Her name is Ah….. Ah-ta… At-ta-nee-noose Lauser." I stood there, trying to supress my grin as Mr. Coles butchered my name. He had me stand in front of the classroom so everyone could see me; my hands were clasped in front of me and my posture was perfectly straight. "Ah-ta-ni-ooze? What kind of name is that?" One boy remarked. "Did I say that right?" Mr. Coles whispered over to me. I tried to be as polite and tactful in my correction. "Close," it was not close. "How do you say it?" "Athénaïs; the last part is an "knee" sound." "At-ta-nich-oose? Erm, can I just call you Ace?" I giggled, unable to hold it in any longer. "Yes, sir." "Sir?! Well, aren't you a well-mannered, young lady? I'm sure you'll fit in just fine here," he beamed pleased with me. "I highly doubt that," the boy name Charles uttered under his breath, making a few other students chuckle.

Mr. Coles shot them a glare and then turned back to me. "Now, where to sit you?" We both scanned around the room before I locked eyes with a familiar face. April! The girl who came to the shop last night; a friend of the Turtles. We immediately smiled at one another and I gave a discreet wave. Not discreet enough however, since Mr. Coles saw. He smiled and directed his hand towards the empty desk beside April's. "I think we'll put you beside Miss O'Neil." "Yes, sir," I quickly gathered up my things and hurried over beside her. She watched with a grin as I settled myself down in my new place. Some of the other kids were observing and seemingly taking a study of me. I still wasn't sure of the high school customs here; the most I knew about American high schools was from that movie, Mean Girls. I didn't see any girls who'd fit the "plastics" mould in my room; maybe they were in another class.

As dutifully as possible, I pulled out my textbook- which I acquired at the principal's office- and opened it on my desk. Mr. Coles picked up a piece of chalk and began scribbling something down onto the chalkboard. "Now, I want you all to open your textbooks please. We'll start on Chapter One…"

Class went on for an hour or so until the bell rang, and second period started. April and I left the classroom together. "Really?! You're taking Latin?" She exclaimed while reading over my schedule. I shrugged, not really sure why that should be surprising. "I was required to take it back in Austria. I thought it would be normal over here too." "Boy, you really don't know anything about America, do ya?" She chuckled, handing my paper back to me. "Well, if you're not required to take Latin, what do you have to take?" It was her turn to shrug. "Oh, you know, the usual. Math, chemistry, biology, English, P.E." "P.E.?" "Er, gym; that's what we call "gym". It's short for physical education." "I see. What else? They asked me if I'd like to take drama or home economics or art. Are these classes mandatory?" "You mean you don't have options where you come from?" April gasped astonished. "What are "options"?" I was totally lost. After staring at me for a moment, she burst out laughing.

"They're kinda requirements. You have to take them in order to graduate, but they're courses you can pick and choose. Like math isn't an option; drama is." "I see. And why do they make you take these courses if it isn't to prepare you for university? Sounds like a waste of time to me." "I agree, it's a total waste of time. But it's supposed to make you a well-rounded person, I guess," April's shoulder gave another shrug. I nodded, trying to understand. That academic system was totally different from the one back home; I thought drama in school meant club, not class. Same with band. We had special schools for those who wanted a future in the theatre or music, but never in a regular high school. I simply didn't see the point of it, other than to waste time better spent on academic preparation.

Sensing that April wouldn't understand where I was coming from- and I get that, I was raised in a different culture- I let the issue on optional courses drop. In that moment, I don't know why but my mind went to the turtle whom I met last night. What irony that April knows a group of humans called "the Turtles", and I met an actual human-sized turtle last night. Not that I could tell her or anything that, of course. I had enough respect and concern for Mr. Turtle to keep his existence a secret, even if I desperately wanted to share it with somebody.

April smiled over to me, breaking my train of thought. "So, have you made any other friends since you got here?" Heh, well I wouldn't exactly call him a friend. My head shook. "No, I've been too busy working in Uncle's shop and getting ready for school. I haven't met many people my age… until today, that is," I tacked on. She nodded in comprehension, her eyes wandering off a bit. "I get that. It must have been a big adjustment, moving halfway across the world by yourself. Did your parents come with you?" "Uh, no. My dad brought me to the airport, but I flew here alone. My uncle picked me up from the airport here." "Just your dad?" Her eyebrow raised. "Just my dad. My mom passed when I was very little." "I'm sorry; I've only got a dad too." "No kidding," I blinked to her with a new understanding. Huh, so we're both motherless? Well, what do you know?

We talked about some more minor things before the bell rang again and it was time for class. I had biology while she had English. The only class we had together was gym, which I was so thankful for. We parted ways with a wave; I flashed her one last smile before wishing her a good class. She did the same, and I was grateful to have such a lovely friend.


	4. Setting Up A Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael and Reader want to do everything in their power to avoid each other. Needless to say, it doesn't work.

Raphael’s P.O.V.- 

“Separate patrols again? But that’s so booooooring,” Mikey groaned. Our oh-so-righteous leader rolled his eyes utterly exasperated. “Quit complaining, Mikey. There’s literally nothing else for us to do; we have no leads and it’ll be easier to find the Kraang’s hidden base if we split up. Or at least we’ll have a better chance of finding a sign of them if we cover more ground.” “But, Leo, we haven’t had any luck going at it by ourselves either. We might as well go together and kept each other company. It’s a lot more fun with you guys.” 

Leo looked like he was about to cave; Mikey had been wearing him down with intent. I, meanwhile, spread my arms across the top of the couch and smirked to myself. “I dunno; I kinda like doing the whole “solo” thing,” I added my two cents for what its worth. “I agree with Raph. The point is not to have “fun”, Mikey; we’re supposed to be patrolling the city,” Donnie kicked in. “That doesn’t have to be fun-less, Donnie,” Mikey shot back unimpressed. “Fun-less isn’t a word, Mikey. Besides, Donnie’s right. Let’s go at it separately for the next few nights and see if we can find anything. If not, then we can re-evaluate things, ok?” “Nugh, fine,” the youngest rolled his eyes so dramatically. 

“But can we at least switch areas? I wanna go somewhere new tonight,” Mikey was quick to tack on. All my senses immediately perked up. "Thanks again, Mr. Turtle." Going to a different part of the city? Why did my cheeks suddenly sizzle again? That wasn’t a problem, was it? Was it? 

Noticing my distress, Leo blinked to me. “You ok there, Raph?” “Huh? Oh….. Oh, yeah! I was just thinking we should stay with our same assigned areas. I-I’m getting to know my sector pretty well.” “Makes sense,” Donnie nodded in agreement. “Awe, come on you guys!” You can guess who whined that statement. 

We climbed up to the surface and each went off to our designated sectors. Now, I wasn’t looking for you-know-who; that’s not why I wanted to keep scouting my area. She had nothing to do with it. "I'm Athénaïs. What's your name?" Nothing at all. 

Still, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t forget the sound of her voice. It played unwillingly on repeat in my mind like a bad song. Isn’t that what they call an earworm? I had no friken idea why either! She should be disgusted and repelled by my body, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she’s……. not. Her question last night implied interest in me as a matter of fact.

My foot unintentionally stumbled on the next jump. I stopped for a minute, huffing and bringing my hand to my head. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I had to admonish myself. “She’s just some stupid girl- and a human girl, on top of which. I can’t be freaking out over her; I’m not like Donnie! I’m a trained ninja, for crying out loud!” 

I then stood there, staring out at the moon right in front of me. The cool night wind caressed my skin as my mouth remained open for a moment. Then, I shut it and straightened up, sharpening my gaze. Stupid girl…… stupid human girl. Why couldn’t she have just stayed home last night? Or why couldn’t the Purple Dragon have chosen another street to walk down? Why did everything have to work out the way it did? My lips let out an irritated growl as I continued charging forward at a much faster pace than before. Murakami-san’s noodle shop was in my district, and I was planning on avoiding it like the plague. I never wanted to see her again; I never wanted to hear the sound of her voice again. That was the best I could do….. to get her off my friken mind. 

Athénaïs’s P.O.V.- 

“How was your first day of school, Athénaïs?” “Hmmm, good! I like my classes and my teachers seem nice.” “That’s good. And did you make any new friends?” “One girl. Her name’s April O’Neil; she actually came in here last night to pick up that pizza gyoza order for the Turtles.” Uncle paused his dishwashing momentarily but resumed it in a hurry. “April O’Neil, you say? I know her; nice girl.” “You know her? Oh, well I guess you would; you said the Turtles were friends of yours last night.” “Er, yes. Um, Athénaïs? Could you do a favour for me, please? Could you make a delivery for me? The address is on my phone,” Uncle handed me his smartphone. “Sure,” I took a look at the phone and grabbed the bag, completely unaware that this was an attempt to divert the previous conversation. Instead I innocently put on my coat and headed for the front door. “Be back soon.” “Bye. Stay safe, Athénaïs!” 

The customer’s apartment wasn’t that far away. I had the food delivered in just over ten minutes. Seeing as there was some time to spare, I put in my headphones and simply explored my new home streets. But home in Vienna, I would walk around all the time like this. Aside from the occasional stalker, it was generally safe what with all the tourists. Heh, I had to chuckle to myself. Only, New York didn’t have mobs of tourists protecting its pedestrians; it had giant, mutant turtles. 

Speaking of turtles, I did my upmost best to avoid Mr. Turtle. He clearly wasn’t enthralled with our interaction last night; I didn’t want any more awkwardness tonight. No, I had a much different mission in mind. Google said that there was an Austrian patisserie within twenty minutes from here. Admittedly I was feeling a little homesick; I couldn’t call Daddy because it was the middle of the night there and I wanted a little taste of home. I think besides my family and the city itself, that’s what I missed the most- the food. Heh, definitely the food.

To my shock, the bakery was still open when I arrived. I just wanted to find it tonight; I hadn’t actually expected them to be open- something you’d never see back home. They closed at nine and still had a considerable amount of baked selection inside. The single server greeted me with a smile; she spoke German, if you can believe that! We discussed her trip to Salzburg and Munich while she gathered for me three Kaiser rolls and a slice of Sachertorte; its Austria’s most famous cake made with rich chocolate and jam. I could have cried. 

“Gute nacht!” I waved as I exited the shop with my precious bag of goodies in hand. “Gute nacht, Fraulein!” She cried back with fervour. I had to stifle a smile; calling a woman “Fraulein” had gone quite out of fashion and was even seen as pejorative by some people. Still, I knew she learned that in German classes here and wasn’t about to correct her. At least she pronounced it right. 

While on my way back, I couldn’t resist any longer. I plucked up one of the Kaiser buns and began to munch on it. Mmmmm, it tasted like the ones back home; thick but not stale. Utterly perfect. I had just polished that off when I turned the corner near my block. Good, I breathed a tiny of relief each time; no thugs and no turtles. Looks like I’d make it home in peace tonight. 

I shared one of my buns with Uncle when I got home. He couldn’t understand why I’d be so excited over something he described as “hard bread”. After laughing my face off, I grabbed a fork and plate. “Where are you going now?” Uncle asked me, setting the bun down discreetly. “Going to eat my piece of cake in my room.” “Ah, uh….. well why don’t you eat it on the roof?” “The roof?!” I gasped. The idea of eating anything on the roof had never occurred to me before; it just wasn’t done in Vienna. But Uncle grinned at me in a persuasive manner. “There’s a table and chair up there, and a lovely view- so I’ve heard.” “A table? Who’d put a table up on the rooftop?” His shoulder gave a harmless shrug. “The old owner must have left it. It might be more comfortable than sitting up in that tiny room of yours.” “Hmmmmm,” I pondered glancing upwards. I guess it couldn’t hurt, so long as I was careful not to get too close to the ledge. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?


	5. Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael has a run-in with reader before her creepy neighbour shows up.

Athénaïs’s P.O.V.- 

Sachertorte cake, a cup of milk, and The Neverending Story in English playing on my phone- now that’s the way to spend a night. Initially I was reluctant to eat up on the rooftop, but once I was up there, I was pleasantly surprised. Quiet, remote, private, and best of all, good wifi connection. I had finished my piece of cake by the time Atreyu rode on Falkor trying to find the edge of Fantasia. This movie was both better and uh….. well I would say “worse” but certainly different than I remember. It’s a lot deeper than I thought it was, and a lot more tragic. Really good movie- would highly recommend. 

I set my fork down and paused the movie. While stretching my arms high up into the sky, I got up to wander around, careful to mind the edge. I wouldn’t call the view “lovely”, but it was nice enough. There were literally no other people- or chairs, for that matter- around up here. Not that I’m surprised; who’d think to spend much time up on a roof? Still, I was glad I came up here and thought I might come up here again. Or at least, that’s what I decided until I turned around. 

My mouth let out a very loud gasp- almost a cry- as my feet unconsciously stumbled backwards. No! My greatest fear; my one phobia. Rats! And not just one of them; oh no. There are no words in the English, or German, language to accurately describe how terrified I am of rats. It all began when I read George Orwell’s “1984”. The way that rats were used in the book doesn’t bare thinking about, but let’s just say Winston Smith’s personalized form of torture matches mine entirely. I can’t stand rats! 

Those horrid, little villains scampered across the closed door- the only door leading inside. There was no way in hell I was going anywhere near it now, but that left me with a problem. How do I get back inside and fast? The longer I was out there with those monsters, the more I wanted to throw up, I was so afraid. Ok, ok, think Athénaïs. How else can I get down to the ground? Keeping the vermin’s whereabouts in the forefront of my mind, I anxiously scanned around. Didn’t New York City buildings have fire escapes? Turns out, they did! 

Pure, unadulterated relief filled me when this rickety, rusty, thin staircase came into view. Yes! That’ll do! It could have been a bit of string and I still would have chanced it; I am that afraid of rats. My fear of the ledge vanished as I approached the stairs. It looked like it went to a metal platform on one floor down, and so on. Reason dictated that I could climb down to my floor, where I could then get Uncle to come and fetch my stuff. Satisfied with this, I began to descend down. The rust was immense; I could feel it already beginning to scratch the palms of my hands and fingers. But I didn’t care- I had to escape the real fiends above me. 

I had made it probably four steps down before I heard this alarming creek. This made me automatically pause, gripping the bars tighter. What was that? Don’t tell me……. This thing can’t break under the pressure of my weight! I don’t weigh that much! And what kind of fire escape is that ill-taken care of? It’s supposed to safe my life; not put it at more risk. I had less than a minute to contemplate my options. I could make a jump for it and hope for the best, but that might seriously hurt. I was in no position to be breaking bones, particularly in a country with no free healthcare. But I don’t back up either! Oh my god, this was my own fault for eating on the roof in the first place! 

Another, much louder creek broke the still night air. I winced, frightened again. The staircase physically moved with me on it, and I didn’t dare move a muscle. More moving only made me cling onto it harder, for some unfathomable reason. I was about to let out a panicked cry for help. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a large, three-fingered hand firmly grasped onto my left wrist. In a little show of effort, I was pulled back up to the roof literally seconds before the bars of the staircase snapped. It landed on the platform with an eerie bang. I, meanwhile, went from going upwards onto the floor of the roof- the place I was trying to get away from. While I tried to get my bearings, a familiar figure towered over me with his arms crossed. 

“Are you crazy?! Didn’t you see that thing?! What the hell were you thinking?!” Whoa! My first thought was not “thank goodness he grabbed me”; it was “why is he yelling at me”? Seriously! Who did he think he was? My father? I blinked up to the incensed Mr. Turtle and got to my feet. He continued to glare at me as I brushed myself off. To be honest, I was mildly shocked he was here in the first place- never mind that he saved me again. I wasn’t expecting that, and judging by the look on his face, neither did he. 

“Thank you for grabbing me,” my tone wasn’t as friendly as one’d expect when talking to their saviour. He noticed this immediately and was not impressed. He tisked. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” My head shot his way. What did he just call me?! The cheek! Seeing my angered expression, he sighed and relaxed; his arms uncrossed in a casual manner. 

“So, what’re you doing up here? Wouldn’t be looking for me, would you?” “I beg your pardon! I would never!” I was so scandalized he would even suggest that I would catch after a boy…… er, turtle. The tiny smirk on his face began to fade; I don’t think he was anticipating that sort of response. I let out an exasperated sigh, running my bloody hand across my forehead. “I was having a snack while watching a movie,” I felt the need to explain. As proof, I motioned to the table behind him which still had my plate and phone on it. I took the chance to catch for any rats too; thankfully they had all scampered away. 

Mr. Turtle scoffed as I went past him to retrieve my items. “Who watches movie on a rooftop?” “You’re up here,” I fired back. “That’s different. I can’t just walk around on the streets; I’m not a human, like you.” “I take it you don’t have many human friends, Mr. Turtle?” He let out a low growl. “Stop calling me that!” “Well, what would you like me to call you? Since you utterly refuse to tell me your name.” 

Before Mr. Turtle could say anything else, the door suddenly opened. “Who’s out there?” A head poked out from the doorway. I watched Mr. Turtle check over his shoulder, swear under his breath, and leap away onto another rooftop. “It’s only me, Mr. Turkentine,” I waited until Mr. Turtle was out of view before addressing our neighbour. He came out onto the roof along with me, scanning me once over. “Oh, yeah. You’re the Chinese man’s niece, aren’t ya?” His finger rose up to me. “Japanese, sir. And yes, I am.” 

Admittedly, I felt a twinge of awkwardness when he took another step towards me. It didn’t help either that I knew Mr. Turtle was nearby watching; I could practically feel his eyes on me. “Huh, you don’t look Japanese,” he noted as if that was appropriate. I kept my composure and tried to be a courteous as possible. “I’m Austrian, sir. Now if you excuse me, I have to go inside.” “Hold on,” his arm physically blocked me from going past the door threshold; he stretched it out to press up against the wall. All I could do was blink at him startled and apprehensive. His eyes narrowed onto mine. 

“Who were you talking to just now?” “W-What?” “Who’re you talking to? I heard you talking to someone.” What right does he have to ask me that kind of question? He’s a middle-aged, married man! And this was literally our first meeting; to think he had the audacity to be so boorish and invasive. Still, like the well brought up lady I was, I remained firm in my resolve to be civil to Uncle’s neighbours. He had to live with these people too and the last thing I wanted was any drama in our building. 

“Oh, that was um……. a friend on my phone. I’d just hung up when you arrived.” “You came up here to talk on your phone?” He asked, his tone peppered with accusing inuendo. This insulted me; it insulted me greatly. I couldn’t believe his nerve! “Yes. Now please, sir; I want to go inside.” His arm lowered but he took another disconcerting step in my direction. “Does your uncle know you’re up here, calling people late at night?” His tone was definitely alarming now. It sounded…… suggestive, if that makes any sense. I went from being insulted to scared; my own foot slid back a little. But I chose to play on his very inappropriate question, having it backfire in his face. 

“It was his idea. Now, I really must go inside. It’s late and I need to get ready for bed.” Seeming to understand this at least a little, he stepped out of my way; though I noticed his eyes were still locked onto me. As I passed by I heard him say: “boy, no one told me Murakami’s niece was so cute…… so European, and exotic.” I wanted to vomit in my mouth. Since when did being European mean I was “exotic”? I didn’t look back as I raced down the staircase and straight into our apartment.


	6. Raphael's Thought Process

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Raphael's mind.

Raphael’s P.O.V.- 

I didn’t plan on going to the noodle shop tonight- that was the last thing on my mind. So you can imagine how shocked I was when I somehow leaped onto Murakami’s rooftop. It didn’t hit me where I was right away; I don’t know how I got to his part of my sector, especially when I was trying so hard to avoid it. I only realized where I was when I saw a familiar hand hanging off the wobbly bar of the fire escape. 

The stupid girl actually tried climbing down that thing; talk about idiotic. I have to give her props though- she didn’t blab to her neighbour about me. I didn’t like her neighbour; from the first moment I saw him, I already disliked him. He reminded me of that fat, bald guy who called us “hamshanks” and took our picture on one of our first trips to the surface. I also wasn’t too keen on the way he treated Athénaïs. I didn’t hear everything they said, but he acted really slimy around her. I wasn’t expecting my lips to gasp this small sigh of relief when she finally went inside, phone in hand. I waited until her bedroom light turned on before leaving. The night was still young, and I hoped that I could find some more action, now that you-know-who would be out of the way. 

A couple of hours later however, I was convinced that my legs had it out for me! Instead of finding any action or any clues to the Kraang or Foot Clan’s whereabouts, I always wound up near that damn noodle shop! I was trying my hardest to avoid it now, but the more I tried to stay away, the sooner I’d return. Nugh, I can’t believe how insanely stupid this is! It’s not like I want to see Athénaïs or anything! Why would I want to see her? When I told myself I wanted to keep an eye on her, this is not what I meant. I only wanted to make sure that Murakami was alright; nothing more. I’m definitely not checking in on her just to make sure that she’s ok- why would I do that? That’s stupid……. That’s not the reason why I keep ending up back here…… Or looking at her window to see if the light is still on. I’m not like Donnie who get all flustered and worried over April; I’d never worry about her. Never gonna happen. 

A frustrated sigh erupted from my mouth a second time. This is so pointless; I haven’t found anything useful in the last two nights. Only some weakling Purple Dragons to beat up, and an annoying human girl. My gaze unconsciously drew back up to her bedroom window. The light was still on and I could see the silhouette of a human move around inside. I guess I’d been watching a little too hard since the sudden vibration of my T-phone made me jump a little. A quick check revealed Leo’s name and photo on the screen. Great; what does he want now? I answered it, keeping Athénaïs’s window in sight. 

“What’s up?” “Hey, Raph. You find anything yet?” “Nope. Been a pretty boring night over here.” “Yeah, same here. The others haven’t had any luck either, so we’re gonna call it a night.” “Kay, I’ll be back soon.” Click! With that, I put my phone away and returned my attention back onto the window. I waited until a few minutes later when the light shut off to finally start my way back to the lair. The whole way I considered the scenario. I had no answers as to why I kept coming back to her building; I had no clue why I waited to go until her light was turned off and I knew she was going to bed……. I simply had no idea why I was doing these senseless things. The most obvious solution to all this was to ask Leo for a new sector. 

This very notion made my feet come to a complete halt on the next rooftop I landed on. My eyes stared out into nowhere as my arms dangled like noodles down at my sides. That would…… solve everything, wouldn’t it? I’d likely never see her again, which is exactly what I want. There’s no downside……. So then why is there this band which feels like an iron bar coiling around my chest whenever I think about it?


	7. Even More Awkward Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael runs into reader yet again,

Athénaïs's P.O.V.-

Uncle had a ton of takeaway deliveries; sorry, I learned British English in school and the UK. Regardless of what you call it, people were ordering home deliveries like mad in the past couple of days. Consequently, I transformed from helper around the shop to Uncle's delivery girl. It was fine by me though; gave me a chance to get to know the city better. But not good enough as I soon learned the hard way.

My phone had the nasty habit of shutting off when at twenty percent. It didn't happen all the time, so I usually took the risk. This was the situation I faced when Uncle approached me with this particularly far delivery; about a forty-minute walk or so. Luckily the owner wouldn't be home until around the time I got there, so I had the time. I put the takeaway bag into my backpack and typed the address into my low-battery phone. Uncle waved at me from behind the counter on my way out.

Since I'm a pretty experienced walker- I don't and will never have a licence thanks to automobile costs in Austria- I was roughly ten minutes ahead of schedule. Recognizing the city during the first half of the journey, the opportunity to sneak into the Austrian bakery presented itself. The server instantly lit up once the door opened up to reveal my smiling face. The following conversation happened in German.

"Hi there!" "Good evening! Welcome back." "It's good to be back," I flashed her a grin. The shop was brilliant, with lots more treats today! She watched me as I approached the display with enticement. "What tickles your washer today?" "That's "fancy". And I think I'll take a…. um… Oh, I'm not sure; they all look so good!" My teeth nibbled my thumbnail as I contemplated my options. It always took me a long time to buy anything food related.

While I was ogling the goodies, the server pointed to the cooler at the side of the store. "We just got a new item in." "Oh?" She peeked my curiosity as I glanced up. A smile blossomed across her lovely lips and she waggled her finger towards the cooler. I looked and my face couldn't have lit up brighter. "Almdudler?! You have Almdudler?!" "Haha, all the way from Austria," she laughed.

Almdudler. How does one describe such a perfect drink? It's Austria's most famous soda; it's considered the "national drink of Austria". Its popularity is only second to Coke where I come from. Flavoured with herbs and elderflowers, it tastes like flowers. That's one thing I absolutely love: flower-flavoured everything. Rose-flavoured chocolate, violet sweeties, and elderflower pop. I love them all, and I could have died for Almdudler right then.

Of course I bought five bottles; five, because who knows when I'll see this magical elixir again. The server said they sell out rather quickly and I can see why. Course I don't expect the Americans to like it much; it really doesn't have much sugar. But I wasn't the only European to shop here. With my five bottles securely in hand, I then proceeded to order three more Kaiser buns and my ultimate favourite dessert, a kremrole. For those of you who don't know, a kremrole is this cyclone pastry open at both ends; it's stuffed full of this marshmallow cream. It's utterly divine; can't recommend it enough. Well, that and Almdudler.

I had a happy skip in my step the whole way to the delivery location. A note taped to the front door told me to leave the food on the front step; it had already been paid for online. Alrighty then! Ready to get home and eat my kremrole- or at least a piece of it- I checked my phone for the route back; I wasn't familiar with this part of the city yet. But to my horror, it had already died on me! Just seconds ago too. Talk about bad timing- it was getting late out. I couldn't just charge it anywhere either; I had an EU plug and no adapter on hand. Not that I had my plug on hand either, mind you.

For the first minute, I stood there weighing my options. Ok, the streets are getting dark quickly and I have no idea where I am. Plus I haven't memorized Uncle's address yet either, so that won't help me. I didn't even know how to pronounce the name of his noodle shop… I was still trying to become fluent in English, never mind Japanese. Let's see… I think I came from the East, but I could be wrong. If I try and find the Austrian bakery again, I can find my way home from there. That's what my brain decided on; instead of trying to locate Uncle's shop, I'd find the bakery and go from there. At least the server would be able to help me if nothing else.

And so, I searched…. for over an hour. By the time my feet came to a pause, I was more lost than ever. My breathing was heavy and stressed; drops of sweat formed on the back of my neck. I had stopped listening to music on my iPod a long time ago, doing my best to spot anything that looked familiar. But the more I walked, the more confused I got. It got so bad that I was actually experiencing flashbacks to another, similar, awful situation.

Last year my father and I went backpacking around Europe. We went from England, to Holland, to Belgium, and over then to Greece of all places. My father had a very laid-back parenting style when we travelled together. Don't get me wrong, he had very strict rules which I was expected to obey. But this also made him more hands off because he knew I would obey him; and I did vehemently. But there was this one night…..

One rule was to be back at the hotel room by ten o'clock. Fine by me; I was usually back by eight or nice anyway. While we were in Greece however, something quite unexpected and frightening happened. I wanted to go to Thebes on the train one day- which is a story in itself- and so Daddy let me, provided I was back before dark. Well, long story short, the train arrived back in Thebes…. two hours after its scheduled time. I got into Athens after ten o'clock, and what's worse, my phone was completely dead.

That was one of the scariest nights of my life. You think New York is scary after dark; you should see downtown Athens. Especially for a thin, teenage, white girl. I did everything in my power to look as much like a boy as possible, hiding my long hair under my hood, and keeping my pink phone buried in my pocket. There were times I was literally afraid to move, I felt that unsafe. Men- much older men- weren't afraid of approaching me. Unlike the rest of Europe, I stuck out like a sore thumb in Greece by how incredibly pale I was; I should mention I don't tan, like at all. Everyone knew I was a tourist, and that scared me.

Eventually I found my way back to our hotel; it was after eleven by then. Daddy was out of his mind with worry and proceeded to yell at me until I explained the train situation, showing him the train ticket as proof. While this got me out of receiving any punishment, both of us decided that train rides alone were now forbidden- a rule which I followed with ease. Ever since that night, I have a fear of getting hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar city after dark. It wasn't as bad as my phobia of rats, but it was there; it was most definitely still there.

Experiencing these flashbacks to the streets of Athens made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack. Without my conscious realization of what was happening, my feet took on a life of their own. Before I knew it, I was running- not walking, running- down the streets in a frantic manner. No…. No, it's not going to happen again. I'm not in Greece anymore; I will be ok, I'll get home safely. I will get home, I had to keep repeating to myself. My breathing became more laboured. My chest started to constrict. "Don't be scared, Athénaïs. This isn't Greece; you're not in Athens. It'll be ok; I promise you, you'll be ok." Unfortunately, saying these words out loud only made things worse. Real panic was beginning to set in; I had completely forgotten about the goodies in my backpack by now. I was usually fine with walking on city streets at night alone; even getting a little lost was ok. It was only when I got seriously lost late at night that it become a problem. And it was quickly becoming a major problem.

I darted around the bend, ready to keep on running- it was the only thing my body could do to stop me from crying. And I would have kept on going too if something hadn't all of a sudden blocked my path. I came to such an abrupt halt that I almost fell over, my feet were going that fast. A big, mutant, familiar turtle wearing a red mask had jumped down from a rooftop to stand in front of me, effectively blocking my path down the rest of the street. All I could do was blink at him with these gigantic eyes, my mouth dangling open as I struggled to breathe properly. Needless to say, he looked more than a little confused by this display.

His arms folded as if he was trying to figure me out. "What're you running from? Someone chasing you?" I didn't know if I imagined the tint of excitement in his tone at the prospect of having a brawl or not. And at the moment, I didn't care. I hadn't experienced this much instantaneous relief since I saw our hotel sign back in Athens. "Mr. Turtle!" I exclaimed, not holding back any joy or reprieve. I was so elated that my arms actually flew up in his direction, holding there in mid-air.

This… shocked and alarmed him, as shown by the look on his face. But before he had the chance to say anything, I decided to pour out my soul; I had experienced painful flashbacks and needed to relieve myself to someone. And he was here, so why not? "I….. I got lost! I was making this delivery for Uncle, and my phone died, and I couldn't find my way back home. And I… I was so scared!" I trembled, too emotional to even cry. I could still hear the echoes of those men's catcalls and summons in the back of my head. No… No, I want to forget; I don't want to relive that again.

After merely observing me for less than a minute, Mr. Turtle shifted his stance like he didn't know what to do. His arms remained crossed over the front of his shell. "That's what's wrong? You're just lost? Who gets that scared just because they're lost?" He uttered, though not in his harshest tone. I didn't respond, simply blinking at him with depressed, defeated eyes. He waited another moment, and finally comprehending my distress, he slowly and quite reluctantly extended his arms out. He didn't even look me in the eye when next he spoke.

"Hop on," he sounded as awkward as you can imagine. All I could do was gawk at him baffled. "W-What are you…. doing?" I struggled to ask, also sounding incredibly awkward. "You're lost, aren't you? I'll… take you back to the noodle shop," he offered through clenched teeth. I continued to stare his way, the night breeze swaying my hair softly. "You'd do that…. for me?" Was all I could think to say. Sure, guys have offered to help me go home before….. but he's the first one I've trusted.

"D-Don't read too much into it! For your information, you were going the wrong way; you'll never get back if you keep going in this direction," Mr. Turtle was very, very fast to add. I was so shocked and happy that I didn't care a lick; he can have all the attitude he wants for all I care. "Mr. Turtle….." For the first time in over an hour, an organic smile began to bloom across my lips. Of course he stiffened when he saw this, as if he really thought I was getting the wrong message. "I said don't read into it! It's not like I wanna help you. It's just bringing you back there myself will save me the trouble of getting you out of trouble again." Uh huh…. And what's the message he doesn't want me to get here? If he really didn't want to help me, he wouldn't be so inclined to get me out of trouble, heh, again.

Still, the situation was agonizingly awkward for everyone involved. I stepped towards him, close enough to be within arms-reach. I'd never done anything like this before and so waited for him to make the next move. Mr. Turtle took his sweet time, uncomfortably trying to figure the best way to do this. Despite the slow start, he scooped me up rather fast and with ease. My eyes grew huge as one of his arms wrapped underneath me, supporting my back and the other hooked under my knees. I'll admit with some embarrassment, this was the closest I'd ever been to the opposite sex- well, who wasn't related to me. It felt exquisitely intimate, being so near him like this. I could feel his muscles tense as they protectively held me. Oh yeah; he probably didn't know this, but I could feel how protective he cradled me in his arms. Blush-inducing so.

Neither of us dared utter a word as he leapt back up to the concealment of the rooftops with me. The ride wasn't as bumpy as I'd anticipated, considering the speed at which he moved. That didn't make the journey any less frightening, mind you; I wasn't used to being carried up so high. On one particular long jump, I shrieked and threw both arms around his neck, pressing myself up against him tighter. It was so instinctive that neither of us knew what I was doing, but that didn't stop Mr. Turtle from momentarily faltering. Thank goodness he didn't say a word about it as I relaxed my grip a little soon enough.

Mr. Turtle brought me all the way to the fire escape outside my bedroom window. My window was big enough for me to climb through, which I guess was the idea when they built it. We landed and Mr. Turtle almost dropped me, he was that quick to snatch back his arms. He was clearly embarrassed by the whole event, just like I was. But I straightened up my clothes and turned to him with a grin. To my surprise, he was already jumping away into the distance when I spun around. What?! He left, just like that? After he carried me all the way here? My hand lifted up to my beating chest. I… I didn't know how to feel just then. A part of me wanted Mr. Turtle to go right away, I was blushing so hard and didn't want him to see. But another part of me…. had hoped he'd stick around for a little longer. I had no idea where these feelings were coming from, but…

After sighing to myself, I opened my window and climbed into my bedroom, dragging my backpack along with me. Once inside, I thought about I should do…. what I could do next. I knew he was still hanging around, even though I couldn't see him. My eyes ponderingly wandered over to my backpack, and that's when I got an idea.

Quickly, I grabbed a sticky note from my desk- I love sticky notes- and a pink-ink pen. After scribbling something down, I fetched my kremrole and an Almdudler. I placed the Austrian treats outside and taped the note to my window. Then, with a satisfied nod to myself, I yawned, closed and locked my window. I put on Lucienne Boyer's "Parlez-Moi D'Amour" before going to get ready for bed. And all terrified memories of that horrible night in Athens vanished from my consciousness.

Raphael's P.O.V.-

What's that girl doing now? I watched her place something outside and shut her window. I originally planned on leaving right away but after seeing her at the window like that…. Don't ask me why I didn't! I don't know! My eyes rolled but I still said nothing. What was there to say?

I waited until I was sure she was gone before jumping back down to her fire escape. There I found this weird-looking puffy roll thing, and even weirder-looking pop. The note attached to the window read: "Thank you so much for helping me tonight. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't showed up. Consider these my thanks."

While crumpling the note, I gazed back down at the stuff clearly left for me. Well, I couldn't just leave it here, and it's not like I could take it back to the lair… I scooped up everything in my hands and hopped to a nearby roof. Making sure the coast was clear, I first unwrapped the weird pastry thing. It looked like an oversized, fluffy burrito full of sour cream. I took a sniff, only for my nostrils to be raptured with sugar. Whatever it was, it sure smelt good. My teeth took a small bite… then a bigger bite… then a big bite. Whoa! This thing was good! I wasn't expecting the cream to be warm, but it was; like warm, whipped cream. I'd never had anything like this before! I didn't know food could taste like this. That made me eager to try the soda.

The smell was a bit more off-putting than the dessert thing, but the taste…. Flowers! I'd never tried anything that tastes like flowers before but damn, was it good too! I think I actually liked it better than the pastry. I polished both off within a matter of minutes, enjoying each bit more than the last. I have no idea where Austria is, but hot damn, do they have good food! I assumed they were from Austria because the pop bottle was all in German and I heard Athénaïs say that she was Austrian the other night. Athénaïs…. My hand slowly lowered the bottle from my lips as I stared blankly off into space.

After my surprise snack, I decided to head back to the lair; it's not like I came across any Purple Dragon or Kraang before running into Athénaïs tonight anyway. I got back just a few paces behind Leo. He stopped when he saw me and turned to face me. "Oh hey, Raph. How was patrol tonight?" "Boring." "Find anything?" "Nope; not at all." "Then what's that?" My heartbeat increased when I realized that he was pointing to the crumbled note still in the palm of my hand. Holy crap! Did I bring this all the way home with me? I blinked to it in equal surprise; I hadn't realized I was still carrying it. I must have unconsciously plucked it up before I left the other rooftop again….

Leo watched as I tossed into a puddle without hesitation. "What note?" To ease the situation, I forced a smirk, which unsurprisingly Leo didn't buy. His eyebrow rose as he studied my face. "You sure it was a boring night, Raph?" "Yep. Now where're Donnie and Mikey? Let's order a pizza or something; I'm starving." To my dismay, Leo continued to observe me in great detail, like he was analysing my every move.

"You ok?" "Why wouldn't I be?" "I don't know? You've been acting… sorta weird these past few days," Leo retorted with a mild tone. I frowned, unimpressed with what he was insinuating. "I'm fine, ok? These patrols have just been pissing me off, that's all." This statement wasn't entirely untrue. For the past several nights in a row, I'd run into the same human girl. A very annoying human girl. Athénaïs was irritating to deal with, but the most irritating thing was that she didn't make me necessarily angry. Athénaïs was different than anyone I'd ever met before. Soft, like a kitten, and just as helpless as one. She reminded me of that puffy thing I ate earlier: sweet, European, light, bouncy, and easy to consume. And that's just what worried me.

It's not like Leo and the others would "get" someone like her; she's just too… different. They wouldn't understand her- hell, I'm not even sure I understand her. But she was certainly not something for my brothers to worry about. I doubted they'd let me live it down if they knew a human girl got under my skin in such a short amount of time…. I mean in the angry, annoyed way! She got under my skin like a pest, not a desire. Who'd want to spend time with her?

But Leo adamantly refused to let the issue drop. His eyes lowered intently onto mine. "You know, if something's bothering you, Raph, you can tell me. We can even switch sectors, if you want." My eyes immediately grew wide with alarm. Switch sectors…. Meaning Leo would be closer to her….. So close that they might meet….. I shrugged, trying to look relaxed as possible. This seemed to ease Leo's nerves, a little.

"Nah, I'm good. It was just some trash I picked up on the way home; nothing important." "M'kay, if you say so. But you know throwing it back onto the ground is kinda counterproductive, right?" "Shut up!"


	8. A Very Bad Date Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone at reader's school asks her out- badly.

Athénaïs’s P.O.V.- 

“I dunno. I’ve always liked summer, but I think fall is my favourite season.” “Mmmmm, I do like fall, but I’m more of a spring girl myself.” April and I were discussing a list of our favourite things, from desserts to seasons. Our last topic was our favourite movie, only for us to learn that we have very different tastes. But the other always made an effort to say something nice about the other’s preference, which I was grateful for. The more I talked with April and the other fine girls of our high school, the more I liked them. They were all beautiful and very interesting to talk to. The boys on the other hand……. 

We both blinked in dismay as one of the rowdier boys strolled over to our table in the cafeteria; it was raining outside so April and I couldn’t sit in our usual spot. His hands were buried in his baggy jean pockets and he wore an overconfident smirk. He honestly looked like a tool, if you asked me. And yet, despite my immediate and intense dislike of him, he was well-known as being “popular” around school. Or so I was told. Why someone like him would ever become popular or more confusingly, the centre of girls’ attention is beyond me. Sure, he was handsome enough but there was nothing behind that pretty face of substance that I have yet to see. 

I frowned as his broad hand slammed down onto our table. He flashed me a not-so-brilliant smile while resting his other hand on his hip. “Boy, don’t you European girls eat anything?” He referred to my petite lunch of half- yes, half- a Kaiser bun with salami and cheese on it, a small yogurt, a green apple, and a spinach smoothie. Now, to me this was a normal amount of food and I was very satisfied after consuming all this, but to his feeble, “I can eat whatever I want” mind…… What he said triggered me. If it’s one thing I hate, its patronizing comments on how much I eat. I’d have him know that not only do I go to the doctor for a full check-up once a year but also get annual blood work done to make sure everything’s in tip-top shape. I’d tell him, if it was any of his business. 

Thankfully for me, April was an intelligent woman who wasn’t about to put up with his nonsense either. She also frowned up at him sharply. “Leave her alone, Craig. She can eat what she wants.” “But I mean, it’s just not healthy. Half a sandwich for lunch? Who does that?” He chortled to himself as if my lunch was somehow a joke. He clearly missed the other aspects to my meal, electing to focus solely on my halved sandwich. When neither of us replied, he gave his head a shake. “No wonder you European broads are so skinny.” 

“Broads?!” My eyes lit up scandalized. Did he just refer to me as a “broad”? The nerve! How dare he talk to me that way? I couldn’t believe the audacity of some of these American boys. And what’s more, no other guys seemed to take offense to what he just called me. If this was Vienna, he’d be slugged across the face by a male bystander. You do not insult ladies publicly- or privately- like that. What a creep! 

I didn’t know what to think as his head leaned closer towards mine. That cocky smirk on his lips grew wider, as if to be knowing something- something bad. I physically leaned backwards in my seat just to keep the distance between us intact. By now others had begun to watch, some girls with envy- for some reason- and some boys with jealously- again, for some reason. Even April looked downright awkward, watching him with astonishment at his gull. 

“How about I take you out for somethin’ to eat sometime? Show you what real New York food is like.” Did he…… just ask me out? I was utterly speechless! First he comments on my lunch, then refers to me as a “broad”, and he now dares to think I’d even consider the possibility of going out with him? Seriously, after all that?! His insolence and bravado made me want to snap. If I said “yes”, that would be a silent condoning of the way he just treated me. But I wasn’t about to overlook his sordid behaviour; no girl should. Still, my grandfather always said: “be good to your enemies, it’s the worst thing you can do to them.” Craig wasn’t going to get a rile out of me- not by a long shot. 

With all the grace and poise I could muster, I stood up without a word or glance at Craig. Sensing I was getting ready to depart, April also started gathering her things. This seemed to confuse Craig- whom I suspect is not used to being told “no”- as he blinked in surprise. But he wasn’t about to let up yet. “So, whadda say? I know this great pizza joint off thirty-four.” “Thank you, but I’m good. Let’s go, April,” I grabbed hold of my bag. He out loud a single, baffled laugh, as if he believed I was just playing hard-to-get or something. “You can’t be serious. What? You don’t like pizza or somethin’?” “As a matter of fact, I don’t. Come on,” I motioned for April to follow me. She shot Craig a glare before trailing behind. 

Now it was Craig’s turn to be bewildered. For a moment, he just stood there watching us leave. But of course, he didn’t get the message. Right as we were exiting the cafeteria he hollered out. “Alright, fine! No pizza! I’ll find somewhere else for us!” Was this guy thick or what? I got no satisfaction from turning him down like those girls in the movies. It was an embarrassing display and I had this gut feeling it wouldn’t be the last.


End file.
